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oneonesix

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hey there,

i'm new here and joined for some advice in my search for a dslr. it's not for myself but for my wife for Christmas. she loves photography and enjoys taking pictures of people. she has some previous experience with digital photography and not just P&S. although, right now all she has is a P&S olympus. i'll admit i don't know much at all about cameras. my mother is a photographer and is a diehard Nikon fan. i would ask her for advice but she is awful about keeping secrets/surprises. i'm not entirely set on any specific camera yet but have definitely narrowed it down and would just like some input from people with more experience. i know my wife will use it for capturing shots of people, places, nature, our dogs and video capabilities would be awesome. like i said, i'm not set on anything but i'm attracted to the entry-level Nikons. i started looking at the d3200 but quickly found the d5100 more appealing. i don't think she would grow out of it too quickly. after researching the d5100, i saw a comparison of it with the d7000. all of the advantages of the d7000 appeal to me as well. and a huge perk to me of the d7000 is the fact that it's weather-sealed. would it be best for her to start with the d5100 and go from there? or start with the pricier and higher-end d7000? i'll add that the weather-sealed feature is very very appealing to me because the rain doesn't slow us down from our adventures. and all the other added advantages are even better bonuses.

pretty much my question is d5100 vs d7000.... the d5100 was about the price range i was looking for but could stretch for the d7000 if it'd be best. what do you guys think? thanks alot for your time and advice.
 
One of the universal "truths" about photo equipment is buy lenses and tripods once...everything else is somewhat disposable. I don't know Nikon gear that well but have read good things about both bodies. If it was me, I'd do the cheaper body and a killer lens. I started my DSLR journey on a Canon T2i which is long gone but bought the 24-70 f2.8L at the same time. I use it to this day for stuff that makes me money. Just a thought!
 
thanks for that! i mean, the d5100 can be had for pretty much half the price of the d7000. that would allow lots of room for extra accessories. does anyone have recommendations for websites to shop from? and if i got the d5100, what would be some good lenses to get for her first? does anyone have any advice about factory refurb'd bodies? is the kit lens (AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR) even worth getting? i've read where some people feel a downfall of the d5100 is that it doesn't have a built in focus motor...how does that affect shopping for lenses? sorry for bombarding everyone with questions :)
 

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